Robin, im a hobby potographer for about 20 years. I would consider myself as experienced. I feel that your are the one of the best, if not the best, photographer from the mFT TH-camr. Often Im picky about others pictures shown by other youtubers, but yours are great. Thank you for all your information.
I've found that having to walk farther away from the subject is a massive advantage when dealing with shy people. Turns out, many people don't like having a camera put in their face. With the 75mm I find people are more relaxed and behave naturally. The technical disadvantage is the focus zone at f/1.8 is going to be quite narrow, so using the camera's continuous focusing feature with eye-lock is the best way to maximize success when doing portraits with quickly moving subjects like children.
How have you gone this long without one of these gems? This is my absolute favorite lens, I swear, it's like it composes the perfect shot for you every time...and I feel like calling it "sharp" is a VAST understatement
Hi Robin -- I ordered a 75mm f/1.8 today -- Olympus had their semi-annual outlet sale in the United States so got what I believe was a pretty good deal! Can't wait for it to arrive -- been using a Sigma 60mm f/2.8 for portrait work -- but the quality difference between images I've been getting with the Sigma and what you're showing here is huge. Thank you for your videos -- you're always so well spoken, organized, and speaking on interesting topics. Olympus is fortunate to have you. Stay safe from this Coronavirus!
Yes! It is a beautiful lens and carrying the compact 12, 45 and 75 is a wonderful small, light, sharp kit that covers so many shooting situations. And I don't like to carry around a lot of weight either. Wish I could use a teleconverter on it.
I got the 75mm f1.8 over the 40-150mm f2.8 for almost the same reasons. Have since married it up with the 17mm and 45mn f1.8 primes. I use Panasonic bodies, however all three Oly primes near permanently live in my camera bag with the Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 on my camera. Was originally intending to get the Sigma trio of primes (16mm, 30mm & 56mm f1.4), however weight and bulk was getting pretty excessive for a M43 kit. Now have this Olympus trio which although half a stop slower they are still very sharp are a lot cheaper (bought used), about a third of the bulk and all three together weigh marginally more than what the Sigma 16mm f1.4 on its own does.
The 75 is a joy to own and use. I use mine for shooting street performances during our summer festivals as well as seasonal images of cherry blossom, autumn leaves etc where the extra reach is really useful.
Absolutely love this lens and picked it up for the same reason. I shoot a lot of destination weddings and it replaces the 40-150 to keep the carry on weight down.
I own it, it’s excellent. When I bought it some years back the black version wasn’t available so I wound up with a silver. Looks like hell on my EM1 M2 but as you’ve said, results over ascetics.
I have this lens in silver as well. When I purchased I was planning on going black as I knew I would be getting E-M1 mk II in the near future. I was able to get a really good price on the silver so that's what I got. I do have silver EM5mkII as well and does go well style wise with that. I found it worked really well for photos our school's running meet.
I use the Zuiko 75mm for the Japanese Obon which the dancers dance in a circle on the streets . As you mentioned it offers superb images and isolates the dancer from distracting backgrounds. Thank You Robin for your informative videos 😎
I've used this lens for flower/nature photography for several years, and it's perfect for isolating the subject and controlling the background. I recently got the 40-150 Pro and have used the 75 less and am beginning to miss it. Think I'll be taking the 75 with me on an EM-5 when I use the 40-150 on my EM-1.
It’s a brilliant lens but I still say the 40-150 f2.8 is still the sharpest all round lens on M4/3. I also believe your images on your blog where you compared both lenses shows this...awesome video Mr Wong “Long live M4/3”
Again ! Yes the 75mm 1.8 is the best lens in m43 I'm so happy using this lens for years ! And for the first time in video it works flawlessly with em5 mkIII !
@@hemabe 45mm 1.2 is better (I have) why? the transition what in focus and background is amazing, the 42.5mm is too sharp for portrait. BUT the 75mm 1.8 is really exceptional, it's another level. In my opinion
I love this lens. We also have Sigma 56 1.4. Comparing to Sigma the sharpness is almost the same in the center of the frame,but not in corners and rendering and bokah are completely different . Autofocus with Olympus M1Mii with 3.1 firmware is incredibly fast. This is a fantastic lens for racing and sport photography.
It'd be interesting to see a comparison between this and the 45mm f1.2 Pro. They are both large, heavy and expensive but both seem brilliant in different ways for portraits. The 75 has slightly shallower DOF and a bit more reach. The 45 has the edge on low light ability and on the flip side of having less reach is more versatile. The 45 also has the clutch and weather sealing that comes with being a Pro series lens, whereas the 75 is smaller, lighter and cheaper* (relatively, it's still hella expensive!!!). *IIRC, forgive me if I'm wrong on the relative sizes, weights and other details like weather sealing as haven't checked! I have the 45mm f1.8, which I've not used that often as I don't take many portraits, but it never fails to impress when I do use it. I think I paid just over £150 (maybe £180?) for it new, which is a massive discount on current prices, and despite it not being heavily used I can't see me ever selling it, purely because it's so great at the price it was. For me, personally, it would be a complete waste of money me getting either of these bigger lenses, so such a comparison would be of interest only unless I suddenly found myself taking far more portraits (or other pictures at these mid telephoto focal lengths). But I'm sure there are people out there who are wondering which to get out of the two?
I completely agree with your conclusions: this is a very special purpose lens, and I don’t use it very often, but when I do use it, I have produced some of my all time favorite portraits with it! Sharp subject and gorgeous, creamy bokeh!
I candidly shot a Lenny Krevitz concert from within the spectator crowd on a Pen F with that lens. The images I walked away with are breathtaking. This is the best MFT lens I use the least. I don't need it often, but when I use it, it is STUNNING.
Certainly one of may favourite lenses, and probably the sharpest lens that I’ve personally owned. BUT I can’t use it as often as I’d like because of its length. It stays home too often. Superb lens none the less.
I was looking at an 85mm f2 (OM system) but found a 75mm f1.8 for less money (crazy really). It is superb. I have used it for low light Jazz venues, my son’s stage bands and his High School graduation. The f1.8 aperture allows this to substitute for my 40-150mm f2.8 pro on most occasions and it isn’t a big impost on my back or space in the bag. I really don’t know why they haven’t made a pro line with weather sealing. Anyhow, keep up the great videos and using Olympus gear......I hope we see more low light monsters in the future from them. Regards Tony
I've been shooting m43 exclusively since 2010. The 75f/1.8 is a brilliant lens: simple, rugged, razor sharp and fast. Stage photography is precisely why I finally got around to purchasing it a few years back. I had been using the 45f/1.8, which also works very well, but the 75mm gives that extra reach that I was sometimes lacking with the 45mm. I love this lens.
How I find right black cylindrical thing in the dark-ish. They're in pouches and the pouches have tie-on price tag labels. That and a little pocket "keyring" led torch you can mask/shield with your hand.
Nice to see you finally got that awesome lens! When we met for a bit of shutter therapy and Laksa in K.L. a couple of years ago, you were pointing out my "fashion faux pas" with my mismatching 45mm. Welcome to the club! :D Great videos, by the way! Keep them coming!
This lens, and the Lumix 20mm lens, are the lenses I miss the most now that I sold my m43 bodies. You're very talented and yoyu wedding photos are beautiful ❤️
This lens is scary sharp wide open. My go to portrait lens whenever possible. If Olympus updated the lens with weather sealing only without changing anything else, it'd be a game changing lens for prime lens shooters like myself. I want weather sealed versions of all the Premium series primes - do nothing else other than weather seal them - I would gladly part with my money! Add to that a weather sealed updated Pen-f... I'd not even remotely consider Fuji any longer.
Purple fringing may be less apparent on an Olympus because they do de-emphasise the magenta end of the spectrum compared to Lumix. There is a pale violet stripe in the petal of a winter pansy (which I use as the test subject as they flower all year) which cannot be reproduced by any Olympus back including the PEN-F which allows you to fiddle with the individual colour gain. But Lumix can. I am not seeing fringing with the Lumix G9. For many years I've used the G X 35-100 f/2.8 for shooting stage/live bands. And although I can usually wander onto the stage with a shorter lens, normally used it around 75mm. With the weird stage lighting even f/2.8 is not always fast enough. So then - the 75mm f/1.8. It is as sharp as the atom-splitting Leica 25mm f/1.4, with a 3D-like quality. f/1.8 is very fast for any 75mm lens. It can be used wide open. Something Leica like to do is design the iris wider than the maximum aperture so they can be uses wide open without fear. Did Olympus do the same here? At 75mm it is a telephoto. I would not call it a normal portrait lens, it is too long for that. However the longer the lens the more shallow the DoF. A defocussed background can be good but not all that long ago bokeh balls were considered a fault, it is a form of aberration. If you want that feature it is easy enough to do but a good lens tries to dial out the worst of the blobs by design. We do have a shallow DoF with this lens which is a bit unusual for MFT, and we can use that. By guestimating the hyperfocal distance and setting focus a little in front of the subject we can can throw more of the background out of focus. There is another important quality to a long lens, foreshortening. Used close up it will flatten a person's face, which can be unacceptable, but will bring the background closer. Choice of lens length can change the depth of the scene in the image.
I came across this video which I had previously seen. It reminded me to use my 75mm 1.8 which I had purchased as a telephoto lens before the 40-150 2.8. It really is a wonderful lens and I must make more use of it. Thanks Robin I never miss your videos and appreciate the time you must spend on these.
Got this lens to allow faster shutter speeds than with the 35-100 2.8 on low light live sets - it makes no noise :) Very happily found that it is a peach for music concerts too. For taking fun photos at concerts, I put it on my wife's hot pink GF8, and we sail past security with our 'joke cheapo camera'.
Watching your videos Robin is not good for my checking account! I just ordered the 75 1.8. While I have some incredible lenses already I can see where this may help in the area of weight and size compared to other lenses. I still use the Olympus 35-100 f2 from the old 4/3 lineup and it is incredibly sharp but so large and heavy. I only use it on a tripod and now substitute it with the 12-100 when I can. This lens may provide me with even better weight control and more compact size for many jobs as well as better backgrounds. Thanks again for a great video (I think).
Thank you for making this video. I really enjoyed the format and footage you provided. Informative and entertaining! You’ve gained yourself a subscriber!
Arrivato 2 giorni fa ed è stato amore al primo scatto... Dopo aver passato anni in full frame con le top class e top lens posso dire che questa ottica è eccezionale....
I love silver lenses. From the three limited Pentax primes I own, two I got them in silver. Such a beauty to look at. And when I get this 75mm Olympus one it'll be in silver too.
@@erin758 the bokeh on The Sigma 56mm 1.4 is smoother and the lens is more versatile : it focuses closer too so you get even better bokeh because the 75mm 1.8 only allows a bit more than half body shots it doesn’t focuses closer. It’s a great lens for stage/concert photos (150mm F2 equivalent) but the Sigma 56mm 1.4 (112mm equivalent) equals my Sigma Art 105mm 1.4 on Nikon FX and is 5x lighter and 10x smaller ! It’s even a bit sharper
The silver looks fine on your camera, and I may add you presented another excellent review. In regard to street photography, go ahead and give it a go. Shoot for sections of things, as there are times when the bits and pieces look more awesome than the whole. You are all so right about it being so tight for street use however. Do you use 17mm, or 25mm mostly? The Panasonic 14mm is another option. I cover the wide with kit short zooms, which do the trick for sharpness, though a challenge in lower light. Love that 45mm f1.8 Olympus, and the 25mm f1.7 has worked out well for me. A 75mm Oly. would be a nice luxury, but the 60mm Macro, or a upgrade in a zoom makes more sense for the average enthusiast.
My go to street shooting lenses are 25mm for wider shots, and 45mm for tighter shots. I almost always have these two lenses with me all the time I am doing shutter therapy.
I use silver lens because I live in Central America and things get SO HOT if out in the sun, even if just for a few minutes. So silver is pretty important.
I have this lens but since i purchased the 40-150mm f2.8 a few months back, it sits in my bag unused. I think after your wonderful review i will pull it out again....
I feel this is the most under rated Olympus lens. For portraits it is special. As you mentioned it can't be used all the time but in the right situation it is spectacular! Your shots with this lens were wonderful. I have followed your blog for quite some time & now enjoy your for videos. Thank you
Oddly when I used to shoot weddings with a Hasselblad it was the 150 F4 shots that really stood out and caused the groups to laugh as to why I was standing so far back. But they were the best. I’ll give this Len’s some serious consideration!
I'm using a full frame 50MM lens on a Nikon DX camera, effectively making it a 75mm lens, and it opens up a whole new world for me! Thanks for this video...
I also think it looks cool to have a black OM body with a silver m. zuiko lens. It makes you look more professional. I hope that OM will keep silver versions if they update their f/1.8 lenses in the future
Love the big eye in such compact lens body. Looks great and takes great photos too. The down side are no weather sealing, purple flare against bright light and the focus speed by today's standard. But anyway it's the love it or hate it lens by Olympus. I myself enjoy it a lot.
I call this lens the “Mighty 75”. It is a sleeper PRO LENS. It really makes the subjects pop in beauty! I’d love to hear your thoughts about how this lens compares to the 17, 25, and 45 1.2 lenses. The 60mm is amazing too! Love your videos Robin!
None of them as Sharp as the 75 /1.8 . Probably the 60mm macro is the closes one , i have the 45 /1.2 is also very Sharp wide open almost as Sharp as the 60 macro wide open . The only DRAW back for me is the purple fringing on Lumix body is uncontrollable, different with my old Em1, but the 45/1.2 has better control on CA and purple fringing and the bokeh is pleasing .
Great video - this lens is definitely on my shopping list now. Such sharpness across the entire frame and such buttery smooth bokeh is a very, very rare combination. Every sample shot I see only makes me want the lens more.
Thanks for shooting in 4K, I really appreciate it. As a fellow TH-camr myself, I know how much more difficult shooting in 4k is. Takes up more space to store and takes longer to render after editing but I think it's worth it in the end. Great video, this is one of the few lenses I don't have. Still debating whether to get this or the Nocticron.
Thanks! It is 2020, so I decided to do 4K videos, and surely it has been challenging! I think the benefit outweighs the extra work, and when I need to show how sharp an image is, I believe the 4K really helps.
I had this lens in my test kit before I bought the first OM-D and immediately liked it, but couldn’t afford it at the time. Meanwhile I use a very good lineup of the best mft primes, but sometimes struggled whether to use the 45mm/1.2 or the 60mm/2.8-this is why I now, finally, got the 75mm. I always considered it a bit overpriced and still think so, because it costs like a Pro lens but lacks the features such as weather sealing and mf clutch. Nevertheless it really offers a unique look, that I much appreciate!
Instead of buying a new cell phone I fixed my broken screen on my current phone and bought this lens instead. The build quality is beautiful. Only wish it was also weather sealed.
Just got my first Olympus and 17mm 1.2 - blown away by quality of images. Really. Only reason for me to keep wonderful Pentax is Astrophotography. Olympus lenses are something truly special.
Micro 4/3 cameras have unavoidable disadvantages in depth of field and image noise in comparison to full frame cameras but I have to admit that they are many great lenses designed for micro 4/3 cameras by Olympus and Panasonic. Most of them aren't much cheaper than similar full frame lenses of the same angle of view and aperture but are definitely lighter and smaller which is something highly important for enthusiast amateurs of travel photography. Olympus micro 4/3 cameras will survive.
Congratulations. It is by far one of my favorite lenses, if you have the distance to work with it. I just wish it was weather sealed. So many times I had to leave it in the bag due to bad weather conditions.
This is a wonderful lens consider its focal length, f1.8 aperture and extremely small size. But the most important, is the image quality and sharpness. Thats the real advantage of m4/3 over full frame or even apsc.
Great inspiration Robin, I have this lens but rarely use it (I use the 40-150 pro a lot). Will definitely be strapping it on for up-coming family wedding shots thanks to your review :-)
@@Weider63 My profile photo disappeared about a month ago and I can't get it back. I have contacted Google support, but they don't have time for something like this.
@@robinwong True. Although, someone have tried pink and other funky colors, but I guess they didn't sell that well. Maybe it was not the color, but the design, that was bad😀
It may be a 'specialist' lens but given what you can pick them up for used, and the fact they only weigh 300g, it's worth having one to hand even if you don't use it much!
I needed a fast lens for in door sports. The 75mm was the ticket. I’ve since used it for events and people. I will never sell it. A 135 f1.8 would be sweet too.
while the 75mm is a great and super sharp lens, the sharpest lens I've used on m34 (Olympus omd EM1 MKII) is that Sigma 56mm 1.4, i have both the 75mm ad 75mm, i love both but the 56mm is crazy sharp!
Hi Robin, is there a big difference in image quality and bokeh between the 75mm f1.8 and the 60mm F2.8 macro lens? (which I have) I'm very interested in the 75mm for some closer wildlife shots, not sure how often I'll use it though. ( I use 12-100mm f4 and 75-300mm for wildlife) Many thanks :) Edit: I found your comparison video for the 60mm vs 75mm f1.8 :) Today I tried my 60mm on some ducks next to a pond, I was surprised that the images were much closer to the natural field of view of my eyes than expected, only slight magnification.. (I obviously haven't been paying attention to what FOW most of my zoom shots are) Ideally a prime with focal length bit larger than 75mm would have been good to get the bokeh I'm after, but the 75mm is very tempting! Maybe I can think of some work for it 😄
Yes! It travels well and best-in-class for long portraits and dim, inside venues. I agree with you regarding the 40~150mm f2.8 vs 75mm travel & people venues! OTOH, I really appreciate the 45mm f1.8 now!😊
Спасибо за то что вы делаете.Отличные у вас видео.Подскажите пожалуйста на что вы снимаете и какой объектив используете?У Вас крутая и четкая картинка.
I really like the colour rendering in those pictures. It's a little distinctive somehow and highly elegant. Do you change color balance or contrast much or does it just arrive there naturally? (I see that a year ago, I left another comment. I still haven't bought one!)
Robin, im a hobby potographer for about 20 years. I would consider myself as experienced. I feel that your are the one of the best, if not the best, photographer from the mFT TH-camr. Often Im picky about others pictures shown by other youtubers, but yours are great. Thank you for all your information.
I've found that having to walk farther away from the subject is a massive advantage when dealing with shy people. Turns out, many people don't like having a camera put in their face. With the 75mm I find people are more relaxed and behave naturally. The technical disadvantage is the focus zone at f/1.8 is going to be quite narrow, so using the camera's continuous focusing feature with eye-lock is the best way to maximize success when doing portraits with quickly moving subjects like children.
How have you gone this long without one of these gems? This is my absolute favorite lens, I swear, it's like it composes the perfect shot for you every time...and I feel like calling it "sharp" is a VAST understatement
hah finally I have one. Better late than never.
This is my all-time favourite lens! My EM5 II spends most of it's time with the 75mm on. And it looks great with the silver body.
It matches the E-M5 Mark II beautifully!
Beautiful shots. I suspect I will eventually get this lens, but for now I am happy to see how you have used it. Great video again.
Hi Robin -- I ordered a 75mm f/1.8 today -- Olympus had their semi-annual outlet sale in the United States so got what I believe was a pretty good deal! Can't wait for it to arrive -- been using a Sigma 60mm f/2.8 for portrait work -- but the quality difference between images I've been getting with the Sigma and what you're showing here is huge. Thank you for your videos -- you're always so well spoken, organized, and speaking on interesting topics. Olympus is fortunate to have you. Stay safe from this Coronavirus!
Yes, this lens is fantastic!
I love your videos and all the Olympus material
Thanks Robin you are the best, too!
You convinced me! I bought one. It is a bokeh monster and very sharp. Thank you.
Yes! It is a beautiful lens and carrying the compact 12, 45 and 75 is a wonderful small, light, sharp kit that covers so many shooting situations. And I don't like to carry around a lot of weight either. Wish I could use a teleconverter on it.
Great Job, Robin!
Incredibles images, Sharp, color, contrast, etc...🤜🤛 from Madrid, Spain.
I got the 75mm f1.8 over the 40-150mm f2.8 for almost the same reasons. Have since married it up with the 17mm and 45mn f1.8 primes. I use Panasonic bodies, however all three Oly primes near permanently live in my camera bag with the Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 on my camera. Was originally intending to get the Sigma trio of primes (16mm, 30mm & 56mm f1.4), however weight and bulk was getting pretty excessive for a M43 kit. Now have this Olympus trio which although half a stop slower they are still very sharp are a lot cheaper (bought used), about a third of the bulk and all three together weigh marginally more than what the Sigma 16mm f1.4 on its own does.
The 75 is a joy to own and use. I use mine for shooting street performances during our summer festivals as well as seasonal images of cherry blossom, autumn leaves etc where the extra reach is really useful.
ahhh cherry blosson and autumn leaves, these I don't get in Malaysia, now you make me want to travel!
Absolutely love this lens and picked it up for the same reason. I shoot a lot of destination weddings and it replaces the 40-150 to keep the carry on weight down.
I own it, it’s excellent. When I bought it some years back the black version wasn’t available so I wound up with a silver. Looks like hell on my EM1 M2 but as you’ve said, results over ascetics.
Exactly, we get the results, that is all that matters!
I love the quality of this lens and have used it since its introduction. I call it my M4/3 SUPERSTAR!
I have this lens in silver as well. When I purchased I was planning on going black as I knew I would be getting E-M1 mk II in the near future. I was able to get a really good price on the silver so that's what I got. I do have silver EM5mkII as well and does go well style wise with that. I found it worked really well for photos our school's running meet.
Glad you have a 75mm too, and for the running event, that lens is great if you can get close enough!
I use the Zuiko 75mm for the Japanese Obon which the dancers dance in a circle on the streets . As you mentioned it offers superb images and isolates the dancer from distracting backgrounds. Thank You Robin for your informative videos 😎
I've used this lens for flower/nature photography for several years, and it's perfect for isolating the subject and controlling the background. I recently got the 40-150 Pro and have used the 75 less and am beginning to miss it. Think I'll be taking the 75 with me on an EM-5 when I use the 40-150 on my EM-1.
Indeed for isolating subjects and getting as much compression as well as background blur, the 75mm is almost unbeatable.
Thanks! I was just about to ask how it performed for flower photography.
Man, that's a beautiful lens that I can't afford but I do have an old Zuiko 85mm f/2 that I adapted to my OMD cameras and it is gorgeous.
It’s a brilliant lens but I still say the 40-150 f2.8 is still the sharpest all round lens on M4/3. I also believe your images on your blog where you compared both lenses shows this...awesome video Mr Wong “Long live M4/3”
Again ! Yes the 75mm 1.8 is the best lens in m43 I'm so happy using this lens for years !
And for the first time in video it works flawlessly with em5 mkIII !
Glad that you can make full use of it on the E-M5 Mark III
I think, the Leica 42,5mm 1.2F is even better. I had both lenses, and with the 42,5mm I had a more versatile zoom range and the bokeh was amazing too.
@@hemabe 45mm 1.2 is better (I have) why? the transition what in focus and background is amazing, the 42.5mm is too sharp for portrait. BUT the 75mm 1.8 is really exceptional, it's another level. In my opinion
OK, 12 days later than my last comment, and I have the 75mm now. Naughty me. Fantastic lens that I already really enjoy using.
I love this lens. We also have Sigma 56 1.4. Comparing to Sigma the sharpness is almost the same in the center of the frame,but not in corners and rendering and bokah are completely different . Autofocus with Olympus M1Mii with 3.1 firmware is incredibly fast. This is a fantastic lens for racing and sport photography.
I agree, I have compared both, and I favor the Olympus too.
Sharpest lenses in my bag by some way. Use it for portraits but also tight architecture shots. Keep up the good work. Love your posts.
Sharpest indeed!
Perfect lens for architecture detail shots, building exteriors, church interiors etc.
It'd be interesting to see a comparison between this and the 45mm f1.2 Pro. They are both large, heavy and expensive but both seem brilliant in different ways for portraits. The 75 has slightly shallower DOF and a bit more reach. The 45 has the edge on low light ability and on the flip side of having less reach is more versatile. The 45 also has the clutch and weather sealing that comes with being a Pro series lens, whereas the 75 is smaller, lighter and cheaper* (relatively, it's still hella expensive!!!).
*IIRC, forgive me if I'm wrong on the relative sizes, weights and other details like weather sealing as haven't checked!
I have the 45mm f1.8, which I've not used that often as I don't take many portraits, but it never fails to impress when I do use it. I think I paid just over £150 (maybe £180?) for it new, which is a massive discount on current prices, and despite it not being heavily used I can't see me ever selling it, purely because it's so great at the price it was. For me, personally, it would be a complete waste of money me getting either of these bigger lenses, so such a comparison would be of interest only unless I suddenly found myself taking far more portraits (or other pictures at these mid telephoto focal lengths). But I'm sure there are people out there who are wondering which to get out of the two?
I completely agree with your conclusions: this is a very special purpose lens, and I don’t use it very often, but when I do use it, I have produced some of my all time favorite portraits with it! Sharp subject and gorgeous, creamy bokeh!
Good work Robin on the wedding photos..loved the one in the woods really nice shot!
Thanks Wayne for the kind words
My favourite shot too loved the bride and groom outside at distance. That's where this lens really shines.
I candidly shot a Lenny Krevitz concert from within the spectator crowd on a Pen F with that lens. The images I walked away with are breathtaking. This is the best MFT lens I use the least. I don't need it often, but when I use it, it is STUNNING.
Certainly one of may favourite lenses, and probably the sharpest lens that I’ve personally owned. BUT I can’t use it as often as I’d like because of its length. It stays home too often. Superb lens none the less.
I was looking at an 85mm f2 (OM system) but found a 75mm f1.8 for less money (crazy really). It is superb. I have used it for low light Jazz venues, my son’s stage bands and his High School graduation. The f1.8 aperture allows this to substitute for my 40-150mm f2.8 pro on most occasions and it isn’t a big impost on my back or space in the bag. I really don’t know why they haven’t made a pro line with weather sealing. Anyhow, keep up the great videos and using Olympus gear......I hope we see more low light monsters in the future from them.
Regards
Tony
I've been shooting m43 exclusively since 2010. The 75f/1.8 is a brilliant lens: simple, rugged, razor sharp and fast. Stage photography is precisely why I finally got around to purchasing it a few years back. I had been using the 45f/1.8, which also works very well, but the 75mm gives that extra reach that I was sometimes lacking with the 45mm. I love this lens.
How I find right black cylindrical thing in the dark-ish. They're in pouches and the pouches have tie-on price tag labels. That and a little pocket "keyring" led torch you can mask/shield with your hand.
Oh boy i never get tired of hearing about 75mm 1.8. It is sooo amazing glass
Great review!!! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
Nice to see you finally got that awesome lens! When we met for a bit of shutter therapy and Laksa in K.L. a couple of years ago, you were pointing out my "fashion faux pas" with my mismatching 45mm. Welcome to the club! :D Great videos, by the way! Keep them coming!
Fantastic lens then and now. When I bought it I never looked back, and it's easily the match of any lens on just about any other system.
This lens, and the Lumix 20mm lens, are the lenses I miss the most now that I sold my m43 bodies. You're very talented and yoyu wedding photos are beautiful ❤️
Just bought a used one this last week!...lovely lens, very sharp and compact!....going to get a lot of use!..👍😎
Wow, go and shoot more with the 75mm!
This lens is scary sharp wide open. My go to portrait lens whenever possible. If Olympus updated the lens with weather sealing only without changing anything else, it'd be a game changing lens for prime lens shooters like myself. I want weather sealed versions of all the Premium series primes - do nothing else other than weather seal them - I would gladly part with my money! Add to that a weather sealed updated Pen-f... I'd not even remotely consider Fuji any longer.
Purple fringing may be less apparent on an Olympus because they do de-emphasise the magenta end of the spectrum compared to Lumix. There is a pale violet stripe in the petal of a winter pansy (which I use as the test subject as they flower all year) which cannot be reproduced by any Olympus back including the PEN-F which allows you to fiddle with the individual colour gain. But Lumix can. I am not seeing fringing with the Lumix G9.
For many years I've used the G X 35-100 f/2.8 for shooting stage/live bands. And although I can usually wander onto the stage with a shorter lens, normally used it around 75mm. With the weird stage lighting even f/2.8 is not always fast enough. So then - the 75mm f/1.8.
It is as sharp as the atom-splitting Leica 25mm f/1.4, with a 3D-like quality. f/1.8 is very fast for any 75mm lens.
It can be used wide open. Something Leica like to do is design the iris wider than the maximum aperture so they can be uses wide open without fear. Did Olympus do the same here?
At 75mm it is a telephoto. I would not call it a normal portrait lens, it is too long for that. However the longer the lens the more shallow the DoF. A defocussed background can be good but not all that long ago bokeh balls were considered a fault, it is a form of aberration. If you want that feature it is easy enough to do but a good lens tries to dial out the worst of the blobs by design. We do have a shallow DoF with this lens which is a bit unusual for MFT, and we can use that. By guestimating the hyperfocal distance and setting focus a little in front of the subject we can can throw more of the background out of focus.
There is another important quality to a long lens, foreshortening. Used close up it will flatten a person's face, which can be unacceptable, but will bring the background closer. Choice of lens length can change the depth of the scene in the image.
I came across this video which I had previously seen. It reminded me to use my 75mm 1.8 which I had purchased as a telephoto lens before the 40-150 2.8. It really is a wonderful lens and I must make more use of it. Thanks Robin I never miss your videos and appreciate the time you must spend on these.
Got this lens to allow faster shutter speeds than with the 35-100 2.8 on low light live sets - it makes no noise :) Very happily found that it is a peach for music concerts too. For taking fun photos at concerts, I put it on my wife's hot pink GF8, and we sail past security with our 'joke cheapo camera'.
That was precisely why I got the lens, I am shooting more music and stage related stuff recently
A pink GF8 would have liked to have seen that lol.
Watching your videos Robin is not good for my checking account! I just ordered the 75 1.8. While I have some incredible lenses already I can see where this may help in the area of weight and size compared to other lenses. I still use the Olympus 35-100 f2 from the old 4/3 lineup and it is incredibly sharp but so large and heavy. I only use it on a tripod and now substitute it with the 12-100 when I can. This lens may provide me with even better weight control and more compact size for many jobs as well as better backgrounds. Thanks again for a great video (I think).
💥This is my preferred lens for product photography of smaller items - super sharp 👍
Likewise! Awesome lens for product shooting.
Thank you for making this video. I really enjoyed the format and footage you provided. Informative and entertaining! You’ve gained yourself a subscriber!
Arrivato 2 giorni fa ed è stato amore al primo scatto... Dopo aver passato anni in full frame con le top class e top lens posso dire che questa ottica è eccezionale....
That lens looks like a stunner. Background is smooth as silk
Another great video! Thanks for all your work on the videos. Please keep them coming!
Thanks, more to come surely.
Nice lens and I love the way you present this video, Robin. Thanks for sharing. Have a nice day.
Thanks for the kind words
I love silver lenses. From the three limited Pentax primes I own, two I got them in silver. Such a beauty to look at. And when I get this 75mm Olympus one it'll be in silver too.
I own the 75mm 1.8 which is amazing but shoot a lot on my sigma 56mm 1.4 : it's easier to frame and has beautiful bokeh and incredible sharpness
thanks for sharing this info. How was the bokeh compared to the m.zuiko 75mm?
@@erin758 the bokeh on The Sigma 56mm 1.4 is smoother and the lens is more versatile : it focuses closer too so you get even better bokeh because the 75mm 1.8 only allows a bit more than half body shots it doesn’t focuses closer. It’s a great lens for stage/concert photos (150mm F2 equivalent) but the Sigma 56mm 1.4 (112mm equivalent) equals my Sigma Art 105mm 1.4 on Nikon FX and is 5x lighter and 10x smaller ! It’s even a bit sharper
The silver looks fine on your camera, and I may add you presented another excellent review. In regard to street photography, go ahead and give it a go. Shoot for sections of things, as there are times when the bits and pieces look more awesome than the whole. You are all so right about it being so tight for street use however. Do you use 17mm, or 25mm mostly? The Panasonic 14mm is another option. I cover the wide with kit short zooms, which do the trick for sharpness, though a challenge in lower light. Love that 45mm f1.8 Olympus, and the 25mm f1.7 has worked out well for me. A 75mm Oly. would be a nice luxury, but the 60mm Macro, or a upgrade in a zoom makes more sense for the average enthusiast.
My go to street shooting lenses are 25mm for wider shots, and 45mm for tighter shots. I almost always have these two lenses with me all the time I am doing shutter therapy.
Super helpful to me - thanks Robin! Your photos are GORGEOUS!
I use silver lens because I live in Central America and things get SO HOT if out in the sun, even if just for a few minutes. So silver is pretty important.
I have this lens but since i purchased the 40-150mm f2.8 a few months back, it sits in my bag unused. I think after your wonderful review i will pull it out again....
I feel this is the most under rated Olympus lens. For portraits it is special. As you mentioned it can't be used all the time but in the right situation it is spectacular! Your shots with this lens were wonderful. I have followed your blog for quite some time & now enjoy your for videos. Thank you
Thanks for this great video. This is about my favorite M 4/3 lens, despite its seeming lack of popularity. I love it!
It is now m favourite too
Oddly when I used to shoot weddings with a Hasselblad it was the 150 F4 shots that really stood out and caused the groups to laugh as to why I was standing so far back. But they were the best. I’ll give this Len’s some serious consideration!
I have the lens and I concur with you in every single point you mention, it is a fantastic pice of glass. One of the best or the best I have.
I have a silver 75mm also. Really love the lens.
Awesomeness
I have one it’s amazing quality portrait lens love it
Indeed, for portraits this is a fantastic lens
Thanks, Robin. The 75mm is one of my favorite primes.
Hey Robin another great video like always. Ciao from Sicily
Cheers!
I'm using a full frame 50MM lens on a Nikon DX camera, effectively making it a 75mm lens, and it opens up a whole new world for me! Thanks for this video...
75mm of mft is actually 150mm in full frame.
I also think it looks cool to have a black OM body with a silver m. zuiko lens. It makes you look more professional. I hope that OM will keep silver versions if they update their f/1.8 lenses in the future
Such a lovely little lens. I would grab that if I ever got aboard the M43 team.
Love the big eye in such compact lens body. Looks great and takes great photos too.
The down side are no weather sealing, purple flare against bright light and the focus speed by today's standard.
But anyway it's the love it or hate it lens by Olympus. I myself enjoy it a lot.
Silver finish is stunning, I choose it for my black M1ii body!!
Hah, glad I am not alone.
Agreed, also the build quality is excellent. On the negative side the lens hood has to be purchased separately. Y
Love love love my 75mm. It's the lens I use most.
I call this lens the “Mighty 75”. It is a sleeper PRO LENS. It really makes the subjects pop in beauty! I’d love to hear your thoughts about how this lens compares to the 17, 25, and 45 1.2 lenses. The 60mm is amazing too! Love your videos Robin!
None of them as Sharp as the 75 /1.8 . Probably the 60mm macro is the closes one , i have the 45 /1.2 is also very Sharp wide open almost as Sharp as the 60 macro wide open .
The only DRAW back for me is the purple fringing on Lumix body is uncontrollable, different with my old Em1, but the 45/1.2 has better control on CA and purple fringing and the bokeh is pleasing .
@@jeffrypalempung9628 the 60 wide open is as sharp as the 45 1.2? That says alot right there.
Great video - this lens is definitely on my shopping list now.
Such sharpness across the entire frame and such buttery smooth bokeh is a very, very rare combination. Every sample shot I see only makes me want the lens more.
Superb images there Robin. Very Impressive! I might have to add one of these to my bag.
Finally some excellent pictures inside in dark light to show off
Beautiful images!
I'm in love with the Sigma 56mm f1.4 for portraits in my Panasonic g9...
I would love to add an Olympus system to my bag.
Welcome aboard. I love my 75mm silver
Silver is awesome!
Thanks for shooting in 4K, I really appreciate it. As a fellow TH-camr myself, I know how much more difficult shooting in 4k is. Takes up more space to store and takes longer to render after editing but I think it's worth it in the end. Great video, this is one of the few lenses I don't have. Still debating whether to get this or the Nocticron.
Thanks! It is 2020, so I decided to do 4K videos, and surely it has been challenging! I think the benefit outweighs the extra work, and when I need to show how sharp an image is, I believe the 4K really helps.
I had this lens in my test kit before I bought the first OM-D and immediately liked it, but couldn’t afford it at the time. Meanwhile I use a very good lineup of the best mft primes, but sometimes struggled whether to use the 45mm/1.2 or the 60mm/2.8-this is why I now, finally, got the 75mm. I always considered it a bit overpriced and still think so, because it costs like a Pro lens but lacks the features such as weather sealing and mf clutch. Nevertheless it really offers a unique look, that I much appreciate!
Instead of buying a new cell phone I fixed my broken screen on my current phone and bought this lens instead. The build quality is beautiful. Only wish it was also weather sealed.
I dont use olympus cameras but i love all of the olympus lenses
the lenses are amazing
Just got my first Olympus and 17mm 1.2 - blown away by quality of images. Really. Only reason for me to keep wonderful Pentax is Astrophotography. Olympus lenses are something truly special.
The 40-150/2.8 is my favourite lens of all time. Regardless, a 75/1.8 is finally on its way to me :D
Micro 4/3 cameras have unavoidable disadvantages in depth of field and image noise in comparison to full frame cameras but I have to admit that they are many great lenses designed for micro 4/3 cameras by Olympus and Panasonic. Most of them aren't much cheaper than similar full frame lenses of the same angle of view and aperture but are definitely lighter and smaller which is something highly important for enthusiast amateurs of travel photography. Olympus micro 4/3 cameras will survive.
Congratulations. It is by far one of my favorite lenses, if you have the distance to work with it. I just wish it was weather sealed. So many times I had to leave it in the bag due to bad weather conditions.
Yep, wish the whole 1.8 range got an update with weather sealing. And an optical design update for 17mm, it's the weak link.
I think Olympus will update their F1.8 prime lenses soon with weather sealing.
This is a wonderful lens consider its focal length, f1.8 aperture and extremely small size. But the most important, is the image quality and sharpness. Thats the real advantage of m4/3 over full frame or even apsc.
Another great video Robin, thank you! I have this lens and love it.
Great inspiration Robin, I have this lens but rarely use it (I use the 40-150 pro a lot). Will definitely be strapping it on for up-coming family wedding shots thanks to your review :-)
Yes, the 75mm deserves a lot more use!
Excellent info as always Robin.
That is a nice lens, indeed. I can understand your reasons for the silver color, but I still think black is the only color for a camera or a lens😀
Hello Matti! Where is your avatar? BTW totally agree, the black one looks better.
@@Weider63 My profile photo disappeared about a month ago and I can't get it back. I have contacted Google support, but they don't have time for something like this.
Thankfully I am not making cameras. Else I will make pink cameras.
@@robinwong True. Although, someone have tried pink and other funky colors, but I guess they didn't sell that well. Maybe it was not the color, but the design, that was bad😀
@@robinwong Hahaha and I expect they would sale.
It may be a 'specialist' lens but given what you can pick them up for used, and the fact they only weigh 300g, it's worth having one to hand even if you don't use it much!
I needed a fast lens for in door sports. The 75mm was the ticket. I’ve since used it for events and people. I will never sell it. A 135 f1.8 would be sweet too.
Another super review, thanks.. way too niche for my travel and street... Just ordered 7artisans 35mm f1.2 instead.. Cheers!
Yeah, this is not a lens for everyone. But if you need it, that 75mm is perfect!
while the 75mm is a great and super sharp lens, the sharpest lens I've used on m34 (Olympus omd EM1 MKII) is that Sigma 56mm 1.4, i have both the 75mm ad 75mm, i love both but the 56mm is crazy sharp!
Hi Robin, is there a big difference in image quality and bokeh between the 75mm f1.8 and the 60mm F2.8 macro lens? (which I have) I'm very interested in the 75mm for some closer wildlife shots, not sure how often I'll use it though. ( I use 12-100mm f4 and 75-300mm for wildlife) Many thanks :)
Edit: I found your comparison video for the 60mm vs 75mm f1.8 :) Today I tried my 60mm on some ducks next to a pond, I was surprised that the images were much closer to the natural field of view of my eyes than expected, only slight magnification.. (I obviously haven't been paying attention to what FOW most of my zoom shots are) Ideally a prime with focal length bit larger than 75mm would have been good to get the bokeh I'm after, but the 75mm is very tempting! Maybe I can think of some work for it 😄
have you ever tried using a 10 mm extension tube to perhaps create closer focusing, particularly for portraits? Thanks!!!
Do you still carry the 60mm macro as well would you compare them
excellent review, might add this to my 45mm 1.8
Yes! It travels well and best-in-class for long portraits and dim, inside venues. I agree with you regarding the 40~150mm f2.8 vs 75mm travel & people venues! OTOH, I really appreciate the 45mm f1.8 now!😊
I have long loved the 45mm F1.8, that is one gem, and truly must have also.
Thanks Robin. Have you tried to use with Lumix G9?
Спасибо за то что вы делаете.Отличные у вас видео.Подскажите пожалуйста на что вы снимаете и какой объектив используете?У Вас крутая и четкая картинка.
I really like the colour rendering in those pictures. It's a little distinctive somehow and highly elegant. Do you change color balance or contrast much or does it just arrive there naturally?
(I see that a year ago, I left another comment. I still haven't bought one!)